St. Landry democrat., 1887-03-26

OF the Andes" l suppose about ! HN
| thousand touches. / hear the canvas Say
ing:
"Why do you keep mo trembling with
that pencil SO long! Why don't you pu,
! it on in one dash!'
NO. says the artist" know how to
make a painting; it will take $1,000 of
these touches"
And I want you. my friends, to under
stand that it is these ten thousand annoy
| ances which, under God, are making up
the picture of your life, to be hung at las t
in the galleries of Heaven fit for angels tc
look at God knows how to make pict.
ure.
60 into sculptor's studio, and see i'm
shaping statue. He has chisel in one
hand and a mallet in the other, and he
! gives a very gentle stroke--click, click,
| click! | say:
| "Why don't you strike harders'
| 'Ohn' he replies, "that would shatter
| the statue. l can't do it that way; Unjust
do it this way"
| So he works on, and after awhile the
| features come out, and everybody that
| enters the studio is charmed and fasci-
| mated.
| Well, God has your soul under process
| of development, and it is the little annoy
| ances and vexations of life that are chisel-
| ing out your immortal nature. 1t IS click
| click, clickl I wonder why some great
| providence does not come, and with one
stroke prepare you for heaven. All, no ;
| God says that is not the way. And so he
| keeps on by strokes of little vexations,
until at last you shall be glad spectacle
for angels and for men.
| You know that a large fortune may be
| spent in small change, and vast amount
Of moral character may go away in small
depletion 1t is the little troubles of life
that are having more effect upon you than
| great ones A smarm Of locusts will kill
a grain field sooner than an incursion of
| three or four cattle. You say:
| 'Since l lost my child, since l lost my
| property, have been different man.
! But you do not recognize the architect
| ure of little annoyances that are hewing,
| digging, cutting, shaping, splitting and
| interioining your moral qualities. Rats
may sink a ship. One lucifer match may
| send destruction through block of store
| houses. Catherine de Medicis got her
| death by smelling poisonous rose.
| Columbus by stopping and asking for
| piece of bread and drink of water at
| Franciscan convent was led to the dis.
| covery of a new world. And there is an
| intimate connection between trifes and
| immensities, between nothings and every
| things.
Now, be careful to let none of those an
| noyances go through your soul unarragn-
ed. Compel them to administer to your
spiritual wealth. The scratch of six
penny nail some times produces lockjaw,
and the clip of most infinitesimal annoy
| ance may damage you forever. Do not
let any annoyance or perplexity come
across your soul without its making you
better.
A returned missionary told me that
company of adventures rowing up the
Ganges were stung to death by flies that
infest that region at certain seasons. |
have seen the earth strewed with car
casses of men slain by insect annoyances.
The only way to get prepared for the
great troubles of life is to conquer these
small troubles. What would you say of a
soldier who refused to load his gun, or to
go into the conflict because it was only
SIX rmish, saying:
Il am not going to expend my ammuni-
ton on a skirmish; wait until there comes
a general engagement, and then you will
see how courageous I am and what bat
Ting will do.'i
The General would say to such man:
'If you are not faithful in skirmish
you would be nothing in general engage
ment."
And have to tell you, Christian men,
if you can not apply the principles of
Christ's religion on small scale, you will
never be able to apply them on a large
scale.
If had my way with you would have
you possess all possible worldly prosper
ity. would have you each one a garden,
river flowing through it, geraniums
and shrubs on the sides, and the
grass and flowers as beautiful as
though the rainbow had fallen.
would have you house, splendid man
sion, and the bed should be covered with
upholstery dipped in the setting sun. !
would have every hall in your house set
with statues and statuettes, and then I
would have the four quarters of the globe
pour in all their luxuries on your table,
and you should have forks of silver and
knives of gold, inlaid with diamonds and
amethysts. Then you should each one OF
you have the finest horses and your pick
of the equipages of the world
Then would have you live $50 years,
and you should not have pain or ache
until the last breath.
s'Not each one of us!" you say.
Yes; each one of you.
'tNot to your enemies"
Yes; the only difference I would make
with them would be that would put lit
tie extra gilt on their walls and a little
extra Embroidery on their slippers. But
you say:
''Why does not God give US all these
thingss"
Ahl bethink myself. He is wiser. 1t
would make fools and sluggards of us if
we had our way. No man puts his best
picture in The portico or vestibule of his
house. Gcd meant this world to be only
the vestibule of heaven, that great gal
lery of the universe toward which we are
aspiring. We must not have it too good in
this world, or we would want no heaven.
Polycarp was condemned to be burnt to
death. The stake was planted. He was
faStennd To it The faponts were nlacad